The hospital administrator sent me this article about the Physician Payment Sunshine Act. This has been around since 2009 so it is nothing new. In summary it is a federal requirement that those evil drug and medical device companies report payments to doctors for research and consultation or as the article insinuates "gifts".
I have a few questions:
Are drug companies not PRIVATE industries?
If they want to pay doctors for research and consultation, what business is it of the federal gubment's?
Indeed, if the company wants to give someone a "gift" what business is it of the federal gubment's?
If qualified physicians are doing work for drug companies are they not entitled to compensation? What business is this of the federal gubment's? As long as the doctors pay their income taxes, it should be none of their business!
This whole thing reminds me and demonstrates the attack on capitalism by both the left and the right. Mitt Romney has been vilified by the looney left as well as Republicans running against him. All Romney has ever done is engage in capitalism, I'm not aware he has violated any laws.
This Sunshine Act thing is especially juicy for the naysayers. They have an opportunity not only to vilify capitalism but the health care profession as well. Those evil, money grubbing, rich doctors! How dare they accept money from those evil, money grubbing, rich drug companies for doing legitimate work?
No, we should just go back to the days of leeches, bleeding patients, and poultices. We could cut our life expectancy in half. The Social Security and Medicare insolvency issues would be solved.
I have one last question:
If these doctors were consulting for some gubment agency or perhaps a solar energy company, do you reckon we would hear anything at all about it?
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